# Any Places Still Have Phone Booths? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927 "2010-10-03T16:56:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/21 "2010-10-04T00:04:18Z")
There’s one on route 6 in Seekonk, MA. It’s on the edge of a parking lot of a little and I suspect crappy motel, in a small patch of weeds and trash. I don’t have any idea if it works. As I drove past it the other day I said to it, “Poor little phone booth, someone forgot to take you down.” ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/22 "2010-10-04T01:05:40Z")
I live in a suburb of Montreal. There is one by a bus stop. Not only is it a real booth, but it is British Telecom booth (or facsimile thereof) with a crown that says ER II on it. The ticket booth in the nearby train station has two, count 'em, pay phones. I can’t imagine why since they were put in in the last year. One yes, but two? AFAIK, every train station, bus terminal and airport still has payphones. But the only actual booth I’ve seen is the one mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![Alienhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Alienhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alienhand)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/23 "2010-10-04T01:52:13Z")
[Here’s an article](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112102363.html) (w/ pic) in WaPo from 2007 detailing the last phone booth in the DC area. [Here is the google street view](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=North+Irving+Street+and+10th+Street+North&sll=38.92573,-77.023258&sspn=0.022135,0.038581&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=10th+St+N+%26+N+Irving+St,+Arlington,+Virginia+22201&ll=38.884782,-77.096853&spn=0.001253,0.004823&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=38.884682,-77.096844&panoid=XDXX7JflDZKF_XBBknQoPQ&cbp=12,34.81,,0,8.8). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/24 "2010-10-04T02:23:16Z")
> [@Alienhand](#): > > [Here’s an article](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112102363.html) (w/ pic) in WaPo from 2007 detailing the last phone booth in the DC area. > > [Here is the google street view](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=North+Irving+Street+and+10th+Street+North&sll=38.92573,-77.023258&sspn=0.022135,0.038581&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=10th+St+N+%26+N+Irving+St,+Arlington,+Virginia+22201&ll=38.884782,-77.096853&spn=0.001253,0.004823&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=38.884682,-77.096844&panoid=XDXX7JflDZKF_XBBknQoPQ&cbp=12,34.81,,0,8.8). Aww. It’s gone. [Here’s one](http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=dundas+st+west,+etobicoke&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=57.204989,105.117187&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Dundas+St+W,+Ontario&ll=43.634855,-79.541222&spn=0.062244,0.102654&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=43.634956,-79.541118&panoid=I00ADHrLfovGz0uoxP8nzA&cbp=12,143.95,,0,1.24) in front of the Canadian Tire store on Dundas St W in Etobicoke. I used to duck into it if it rained while I was waiting for the bus. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/25 "2010-10-04T02:26:41Z")
They still have phone booths (well, stalls anyway) in Korea. I never see anybody use them, though. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/26 "2010-10-04T02:56:21Z")
Kirby Drive in Houston had some red English-style phone booths as late as 2003. I know because I had to use one once. Have no idea if they’re still there, though. ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/27 "2010-10-04T03:08:42Z")
There is one in Northport, WA (pop. around 400) on Hwy 25. We just got decent cell service about two years ago (but at least two of the big carriers phones still won’t work until you are at least 30 miles south of here). It has a newfangled pay phone in it (digital display, takes debit cards) but the booth itself is probably 50’s vintage. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/28 "2010-10-04T03:46:29Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > There are still quite a few in Japan, at least in the town I live in. Kids don’t (can’t?) generally have cell phones, so it’s usually school students using them, if anyone is. Huh. I find that older Japanese shows seem to assume all kids have cell phones before they were popular over here. And I’ve always heard that innovations often happen in the teen female market over there before they happen here. And I’ve never seen an actual phone booth, just some pay phones just outside stores. Sometimes they get a bit of an enclosure around the phone itself, to make it stand out from the wall, but nothing you can actually enter. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/29 "2010-10-04T03:51:25Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > Hill Valley still has at least one in 2015 There seemed to be a lot of retro and retro-future chique going on then. They really seemed to be celebrating the 80s (especially in that diner). > [@dogbutler](#): > > You’re [PSXer] from the future?:eek:😃 No, he’s from the past, but since he used his time machine to come here, he also apparently used it to go to the future as well. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/30 "2010-10-04T04:57:52Z")
Pittsburgh has some but more likely is a bank of phones in a building such as you find near the food court of 5th Avenue Place. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/31 "2010-10-04T07:02:48Z")
Can’t remember the last phone booth, but most casinos in Las Vegas have a row of phone banks (with vending machines with calling cards nearby). I rarely see anyone use them, but they are there. My guess is they are mostly used for foreign calls by people who may not have a cell phone that allows them to call their home country, but that is just my WAG. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/32 "2010-10-04T07:15:26Z")
It’s just been reported in today’s _Times_ that 10% of UK phone booths only have one call a month made from them. Hence the wholesale withdrawal of them. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/33 "2010-10-04T12:18:27Z")
The Last Phone Booths in New York City, from about a year ago: \*\*[The Last Phone Booth In New York City | Scouting NY](http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=852) \*\* ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/34 "2010-10-04T12:30:11Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Can’t remember the last phone booth, but most casinos in Las Vegas have a row of phone banks (with vending machines with calling cards nearby). I rarely see anyone use them, but they are there. My guess is they are mostly used for foreign calls by people who may not have a cell phone that allows them to call their home country, but that is just my WAG. It’s been a few years since I was in Vegas, but this was the first thing I thought of when I when I read the OP. I remember using them a few times to call home before I had gotten a cell phone (about ten years ago) and at least once after I got my cell phone I used on the booths to get away from the casino noise while I was making a call on my cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/35 "2010-10-04T15:41:54Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The Last Phone Booths in New York City, from about a year ago: > > \*\*[The Last Phone Booth In New York City – Scouting NY](http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=852) > > \*\* Wow! Thanks-phone booths have vanished from Boston-I haven’t seen one in years. I always remember the phone booth in my grandfather’s restaurant-it had wood and glass panel doors, and a blower that turned on when you shut the door. Its kinds nice that you could have a private conversation-I don’t like speaking to someone in a crowded place (on a cellphone). When are phonebooks going to disappear? Nobody seems to use them anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/36 "2010-10-04T16:33:20Z")
> [@SazChez](#): > > We have loads of phone booths. But then again…Im in England My impression is that every little village in Britain has one. I remember travelling through the Yorkshire dales where they really are needed because of the bad (or rather non-existent) reception on mobiles. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/37 "2010-10-04T16:36:03Z")
There are still a fair number in Canada. They’re dwindling, and in a lot of places they’ve either been removed altogether or replaced with the little stand variety, but there are still some. Also the elimination of pay phones is not going as quickly as it seems to be in the US; you can usually still find one pretty quickly – every metro station has several, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/38 "2010-10-04T16:42:44Z")
Lots over here. Good luck finding one not out of order! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/39 "2010-10-04T17:23:31Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > There are still a fair number in Canada. They’re dwindling, and in a lot of places they’ve either been removed altogether or replaced with the little stand variety, but there are still some. Also the elimination of pay phones is not going as quickly as it seems to be in the US; you can usually still find one pretty quickly – every metro station has several, for instance. Yeah but the cost of using one is going through the roof. I used one a couple of months ago (my cell was drained) and it cost 50 cents. I used one a couple of weeks ago (I should really get a car charger) and the cost was $1.00! I only had a toonie on me; it didn’t give change! So a 30 second local call home cost me two bucks! ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927/40 "2010-10-04T17:25:11Z")
Our vet installed a phone booth in the waiting room. It doesn’t work, but you use it as a quiet place to talk on your cell phone! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-places-still-have-phone-booths/555927.md?page=3)